I have come to contemporary fiction a bit late in my reading life. Now that I have plenty of time on my hands (having taken early retirement five years ago) and determined to avoid the destructive addiction of today’s online political discourse, I turned to literature as a balm. Chris Holmes’ podcast seemed a nice way to hear about new writing, especially novels, which I find more satisfying than short stories. There are a few things to be said in praise of this podcast. Unlike the Book Review podcast from the New York Times or Bookshelf from the Australia Broadcasting Corp. or Books and Authors from the BBC , this one featured one novel for the entire episode and always had the author as a guest. To spend a full hour with the writer talking about just one book (always his or her latest) is an excellent proposition. Yet what makes it less than perfect is the effusive manner of the interviewer. There is no aspect of the book in consideration that is too minor for fulsome praise. The words “love”, “amazing” “wonderful” come gushing out. When I do get round to reading the book I often find those qualities wanting or at best banal. My second criticism is a more debatable one. Why do Chris’s selections generally not do well in the literary world? I often hear about the books first on his podcast and then I look for reviews in the NYT or WaPo or the Guardian or some other well regarded newspaper. But more often than not, not a squeak. Is Chris typically featuring authors who rarely make it into the A-list? Is it even fair for me to ask this question? You decide.

I am impressed by the variety of books reviewed here. The host’s enthusiasm and thoughtful preparation for these discussions makes this a great listen. Well done!

...the best podcast about literature that exists. Generous and penetrating. I've been listening for years; how come I haven't left a review until now? A real personal failure! Every episode is a gift.

I listened to the conversation Chris had with Xochitl Gonzalez and loved to hear questions based on his knowledge of writing and literature! That definitely makes for a better conversation with the authors and when they get excited, the audience gets even more excited about their books.

It’s a pleasure to listen to such rich, compelling interviews with exciting contemporary writers. Highly recommended!

Chris is brilliant and so are his guests! Wonderful interviews.

Intelligent, thoughtful and interesting. This podcast focuses on contemporary fiction with book recommendations and conversations with authors and others whose lives are transformed by books! Highly recommended.